Log raft.



Patented Dec. l6, I902.

J. AYRES.

LOG RAFT.

(Application filed Sept. 25, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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/n v? m 7 Kiwi UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN AYRES, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR TOOREGON RAFTING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, A CORPORATION OF OREGON.

LO G RAFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 715,939, dated December 16, 1902.

Application filed September 25, 1902. Serial No. 124,821. (No model.)

ments in Log Rafts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of rafts composed of logs or timbers so built up and fastened together as to adapt the structure to be transported on the water, and especially,

to be carried on long voyages on the ocean, with a view to being broken up and its legs or timbers sold at the place of destination. In rafts of this nature it isthe practice to form the logs or timbers into an immense structure, usually cigar-shaped, and to bind the logs or timbers together by various means, which include encircling chains at frequent intervals, and to dispose in the raft other chains by the strain on which in towing the raft is held together. Heretofore these interior chains have been so disposed that while the strain of towing pulls together and tightens the raft in its after part the forward part of the raft, having nothing but the resistance of the water to oppose the forward pulling strain on the after part, tends to slacken up and loosen, so

that considerable difficulty is experienced inkeeping the forward part of the raft tight and compact, and it is found after the voyage iswell under way that while the raft is tight enough aft it is quite loose forward.

The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty by providing such an arrangement and connection of tow-chains and tightening-chains as will cause the two ends of the raft under the strain on the tow-chain to tighten or pull together against each other that is to say, the strain on each end will be toward the cen'terthereby keeping both ends of the raft tight.

To this end my invention consists in a towchain through the raft, said chain being made in sections connected by a pulley-block in such manner that the-strain of towing will pull the sections centrally in opposite directions, and diagonal or herring -bone chains in the forward and after portions of the raft secured interiorly to the tow-chain sections and exteriorly to the raft, said diagonal or herring-bone chains being relatively disposed to strain and tighten the two ends of the raft together under the strain of towing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal central sectional plan of my raft, a portion of the middle being left in full plan. Fig. 2 is a view of the forward end of the raft sectioned as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the after end of the raft not sectioned as in Fig. 1, but complete. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the block connection between the two sections of the towchain. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of block D. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the connection between a herring-bone chain and an encircling chain.

A is the raft. It is composed of logs or timbers laid up suitably to about the shape shown or any other shape which in'such rafts may be found practicable.

B is the forward section of the tow-chain. This in its best form is doubled on itself and lies in about the middle plane of the forward part of the raft. The end I), with which the tow connection is made, issues from the forward end of the raft slightly below the middle, while the other end I) lies in the middle plane just within the forward end and is connected with the forward diagonal or herring -'bone chains 0. In building the raft when the structure is nearing the horizontal central plane the end Z) of chain B is laid in, and when the middle plane isreached the end I) is laid in forwardly in said plane, and thereby the two sides of said chain are kept separate and free from chafing. The bight or inner bend of chain-section B runs through a block D, which is secured to the after section E of the tow-chain. This chain in its best form is a single chain and passes out aft through the raftand is thence carried upwardly to the top of the raft, and its end 6 is secured to one of the encircling chains. To

this chain E are secured the after. diagonal or herring-bone chains F. The herring-bone chains 0 and F may be in any suitable number, and each consists of a single chain suitably connected at its middlesay bya clove hitchto the chain B or the chain E, as the case may be, and its ends are thence carried out diagonally in an endwise direction to the raft exterior and are there secured in suitable manner to the encircling chains G, which lie in the cross-sectional planes of the raft. These encircling chains are at frequent intervals, as shown, and the connection of the herring-bone chains therewith is here shown as consisting of a removable plate H on a yoke h on the end of each chain and which form sockets cinbracing the encircling chains. By the removal of the plates H the connection of the chains is readily broken when the raft is to be broken up.

I is a stop-chain secured to and extending between the two sides of chain B forward of the block D.

It will now be seen that the strain of towing applied to the end Z) of the forward section B of the towchain will, through the block connection at D, pull forward on the after chainsection E, and thereby through the after herringbone chains F tighten up the after end of the raft, and at the same time the strain of towing will pull back on the portion I) of the forward chain section B, and thereby through the forward herringbone chains 0 will pullback on and tighten up the forward end of the raft, the two ends of the raft thus being strained together and kept tight positively under the strain of towing. In towing thus by the forward end the stop-chain I, which is run diagonally, as shown, is slack enough to not interfere with the proper running of chain B; but in case the occasion should arise when the raft should have to be towed from the other end the end e of the after tow-chain section E is released from the encircling chain and is taken hold of to tow by, and in this case the stop -chain I serves to hold chain B properly, so that its free end I) will not be pulled through. Such towing by the rear end will, however, be only in case of emergency, and if resorted to the two sections B and E will act only as a straight through tow-chain. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a log raft, the combination of a towchain extending through the length of the raft and made in separate sections, a pulleyblock between and connecting said sections, said block and chains being relatively arranged to cause the strain of towing applied to one of said sections to effect a pull on said sections in opposite directions toward the center of the raft, and diagonal chains in the forward and after portions of the raft secured interiorly to the tow-chain sections and exteriorly to the raft, and relatively disposed to apply the opposite strains on the towchain sections to tightening the ends of the raft together.

2. In a log raft, the combination of a towchain extending through the length of the raft and made in separate sections, a pulleyblock between and connecting said sections,

said block and chains being relatively arranged to cause the strain of towing applied to one of said sections to effect a pull on said sections in opposite directions toward the center of the raft, encircling chains in the cross-sectional planes of the raft, and diagonal chains in the forward and after portions of the raft secured interiorly to the tow-chain sections and exteriorly to the raft-encircling chains, and relatively disposed to apply the opposite strains on the tow-chain sections to tightening the ends of the raft together.

3. In a log raft, the combination of the doubled section of the tow-chain in the forward portion of the raft, the single section of the tow-chain in the after portion of the raft, the block connected with the after tow-chain section, through which block the bight of the forward tow-chain section runs, and the herring-bone chains in the forward and after portions of the raft, secured interiorly to the tow-chain sections and exteriorly to the raft, whereby the ends of the raft are strained and tightened together in towing from the forward end.

4:. In alog raft, the combination'of the doubled section of the tow-chain in the forward portion of the raft, the single section of the tow-chain in the after portion of the raft, each section having an end issuing through the raft end to the exterior, the block connected with the after tow-chain section, through which block the bight of the forward tow-chain section runs, the herring-bone chains in the forward and after portions of the raft secured interiorly to the tow-chain sections, and exteriorly to the raft, whereby the ends of the raft are strained and tightened together in towing from the forward end, and the stopchain connecting the two sides of the forward tow-chain section whereby the towing may be done if necessary by the projecting end of the after tow-chain section.

5. In a log raft, the combination of the doubled section of the tow-chain in the forward portion of the raft, the single section of the tow-chain in the after portion of the raft, the block connected with the after tow-chain section, through which said block the bight of the forward tow-chain section runs, the herring-bone chains in the forward and after portions of the raft, secured interiorly to the towchain sections,and the encircling chains about the raft, and to which the herring-bone chains are exteriorly connected, whereby the ends of the raft are strained and tightened together in towing from the forward end.

6. In a log raft, the combination of the doubled section of the tow-chain in the forward portion of the raft, the single section of the tow-chain in the after portion of the raft, each section having an end issuing through the raft end to the exterior, the block connected with the after tow-chain section, through which block the bight of the forward tow-chain section runs, the herring-bone chains in the forward and after portions of the raft secured interiorly to the tow-chain sections, the encirthe projecting end of the after tow-chain seccling chains about the raft and to whichthe tion.

1 1o herring-bone chains are exteriorly connected, In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my whereby the ends of the raft are strained and hand. tightened togetherin towing from the forward JOHN AYRES. end, and the stop-chain connecting the two Witnesses:

sides of the forward tow-chain section, Where- G. B. MCLEOD, by the towing may be done if necessary, by WALTER F; VANE. 

